After a decade of stale turn-based tactics, Menace is a breath of fresh air

Menace, the latest early access release from the creators of Battle Brothers, is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and innovative strategy and tactics games in recent years. Blending the fast-paced fun of Jagged Alliance or X-Com with the best elements of tabletop and board wargames, Menace offers a fresh and thrilling experience that will keep you hooked for hours on end.

In Menace, you take on the role of a shipful of volunteer space marines sent on a politically unpopular mission through a malfunctioning faster-than-light travel gate to a remote planetary system ruled by criminals, megacorporations, and military juntas. Naturally, things go horribly wrong, and your ship half-explodes due to the busted warp gate, resulting in numerous casualties. As the highest-ranking survivor, you’re now in charge of spearheading a peacekeeping mission with limited manpower, supplies, and weapons.

Despite these challenges, you and your team press on, determined to restore order to the chaotic Wayback system. To do so, you’ll need to recruit new soldiers from various factions, including your own ship, the scum and mercenaries of the system, and even the villains themselves. Each mission presents a series of tactical battles against a variety of enemies, such as giant alien bugs, space pirate raiders, renegade local army units, and the eponymous Menace.

What sets Menace apart from other strategy games is its core gameplay mechanics. The game simplifies the complex rules found in dense wargames into a faster-playing experience without sacrificing any of the cool simulation aspects. You still have individual to-hit rolls for every bullet and a wide array of assault rifles to choose from, but these elements are elegantly automated or combined into more accessible systems.

One of the most basic concepts in Menace is suppression and morale. Soldiers panic when shot at, even to the point of paralysis if enough lead (or lasers, or plasma) is flying at them. They’ll also decide to retreat and regroup if they don’t like their odds or if something especially scary happens, like an orbital laser cannon cutting a building and some soldiers and their tanks in half. This mechanic applies not only to the enemy but also to your own soldiers, adding an extra layer of realism and strategy to the game.

Another aspect that makes Menace stand out is the level of customization available for your squads. Each squad leader has their own progression tree of perks that change up combat, and each one has more than one viable build. For example, the fan-favorite recon operator Darby can be built as a sniper-spotter, locking down enemy special assets and identifying their weak points, or as the leader of a close-in, stealthy, aggressive squad that cleans up whole enemy units from the shadows before disappearing into the dark again.

The game also offers a wide variety of weapons, armor, and accessories to choose from, each with its own purpose and niche. A mortar might not be much use against bugs because it doesn’t scare them, but pirates or rogue army conscripts will hit the dirt as soon as the first shell falls. This level of depth and variety ensures that every mission feels fresh and exciting, as you’ll need to adapt your strategy based on the intel you’ve gathered, the weapons you’ve scavenged, and which of your personnel is fit to fight right now.

One of the most refreshing aspects of Menace is its transparent use of wargame-style rules. Unlike other modern tactics games, Menace gives you straight-up objectives to accomplish, after which the mission simply ends. This means that you’re always making cool choices, building a new setup to accomplish each mission based on the specific challenges you’ll face. It’s a pure thrill, the exact power fantasy for the side of you that wants to be a strategic-tactical field commander and run the operation to whatever doctrine you’ve cooked up.

While Menace is still in early access and has some rough edges, the developers at Overhype Studios are actively working on fixing problems with enemy behavior and weapon balance. They’ve already added new weapons and enemies since the game’s launch on February 5, and given their reliable update tempo with Battle Brothers, it’s safe to say that Menace will only get better with time.

In conclusion, if you’re a tactics fan, wargamer, or strategy enthusiast who isn’t scared of some sharp early access edges, Menace is a game you absolutely need to check out. With its innovative gameplay mechanics, deep customization options, and thrilling missions, Menace is poised to become one of the best strategy and tactics games released in years. So what are you waiting for? Add it to your wishlist and get ready to experience the excitement of Menace when it finally launches.

Tags: Menace, Battle Brothers, strategy game, tactics game, early access, Overhype Studios, Jagged Alliance, X-Com, tabletop wargame, board wargame, space marines, peacekeeping mission, alien bugs, space pirate raiders, renegade army units, suppression, morale, customization, progression tree, perks, weapons, armor, accessories, recon operator, sniper-spotter, stealthy squad, thrilling missions, wargame-style rules, strategic-tactical field commander, doctrine, update tempo, launch.,